Donald Trump lands in South Korea

MNA International Desk: US President Donald Trump arrived in South Korea on Tuesday, the closest he has come to the frontlines of the nuclear standoff with North Korea, on a visit that could further aggravate tensions with Pyongyang.

Landing at Osan Air Base outside the capital Seoul, Trump stepped down from Air Force One onto a red carpet as he began his 24-hour state visit with a ceremonial military honor guard arrayed on the airport tarmac, reported news agency.

The White House says Trump’s trip is intended to demonstrate US resolve over his hardline approach to North Korean nuclear and missile threats, but many in the region fear that further bellicose presidential rhetoric could increase the risk of a devastating military conflict on the Korean peninsula.

Three US aircraft carrier strike groups will conduct exercises together in the Western Pacific in the coming days in a show of force rarely seen in the region, US officials said, as Trump continues his 12-day Asia tour aimed at forging a united front against North Korea and developing trade.

Pyongyang’s recent nuclear and missile tests in defiance of U.N. resolutions and an exchange of bellicose insults between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have raised the stakes in the most critical international challenge of Trump’s presidency.